Pixel Bricks

This thesis explores digital media as a form of representation. The conversation focuses on the imagery of Los Angeles that is “driven” by automobiles – Gas Stations, billboards, drive thru’s, and stripmalls. In the near future, the population of Los Angeles will reach 13 million people. The seemingly boundless real estate of Los Angeles soars. The city extends vertically; not upwards, but downwards to accommodate automobiles. As the infinite grid of city blocks completely consume the vast landscapes of Los Angeles– mountains, valleys, plains, and sea coast, –the city becomes pixelated with rectangular street blocks, connected by a web of highways and streets. “Pixel” is the keyword of this thesis. Pixelation reflects the increased residents of Los Angeles, and pixelation is also the smallest unit of any visual digital media, which us humans are already at the point of no return. It is not a bad thing; all we can do is to fully embrace pixelization. Digital media becomes a form of representation; screens become the facade.